Hose-bridge for railway-tracks



(No Model.)

T. REDDY.

HOSE BRIDGE FOR RAILWAY TRACKS.

Patented Sept. 16, 1884.

RS. Phola-ulhognphor. Wank-ugh). cgv c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS REDDY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

HOS E-BRI DGE FOR RAILWAY-TRACKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 305,108, datedSeptember 16, 1884.

(No model.)

In all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS REDDY, ofPittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Hose-Bridges forRailway-Tracks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact descrip tion thereof.

My invention relates to bridges to be employed on the tracks ofstreet-railways to enable the cars to pass over the fire-engine hosewithout injury thereto, its object being to provide a light andefficient bridge for that purpose, which can be carried with the car,and so prevent the delay to these cars, so often caused in large citiesby confiagrat-ions.

It consists, essentially, in a bridge secured and having inclined treadsor edges extending from each end to the highest point thereof, and anopening through the same for the passage of the hose, and provided withclamps corresponding in shape to the upper face of the rail, one ofthese bridges being placed on each rail, and the clamps fitting over.and securing it thereto, and the car-wheels riding up over theseinclines, and so passing over the hose without injury thereto andwithout obstructing the free passage of the water. It also consists incertain improvements in the construction of the bridge to securelightness and strength.

It also consists in certain improvements in the means of holding thebridge to the track, whereby on receiving any longitudinal pressure fromthe wheels the clamps are caused to bind more firmly on the rails.

It also consists in providing the bridge with a guard to hold thecar-wheel against it.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side View, partly broken away,illustrating my invention, the hose being shown in section. Fig. 2 is aperspective view thereof. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line as m,Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the clamps.

Like letters indicate like parts in each.

The rail A-is the ordinary flat rail employed in street-railways, havingthe tread a and depressed body a. The bridge 13 is formed of plate metalcut to shape and riveted or bolted together, the plates I) having a flatbase and the inclined faces 0 c and the hose-opening d, and thesemicircular or horseshoe shaped piece 0, the inner face of whichcorresponds to the hoseopening (1, fitting between the plates at saidopening, and holding them apart so as to form the inclined treads f f,of sufficient width to give a firm support for the wheels. In practice Ifind that plates 1) onefourth inch thick and a horseshoe-shaped piece,6, three-fourths inch thick give the desired result, providing a treadone and one-fourth inch wide, which rests firmly on the tread of therail and forms a bridge sufficiently strong to sustain any streetcarloaded. The plates 6 and piece 0 are generally secured together byrivets e, as shown. The incline up which the wheels travel is madegradual to prevent any sudden strain on the horses in drawing the carover the bridge; but the opposite end of the incline is made more abruptin order to reduce the length and weight of the bridge, thoughit is notsufficiently abrupt to jar the The clamps 9 correspond in shape to theupper face of the rail and rest thereon, and they have the lips g 9,extending down the side edges of the rail, being made to fit it neatlyand hold thereto, and the ends of said lips being tapered to a point, asat 9 to enter between the stones or dirt along the sides of the track.The clamps extend through mortises h in the plates 1), fitting themloosely, as it is desired that they have a slight movement therein, andthey are connected to the swivelplates is by the swivel-j oints Z, whichare made fiat on the under face of the clamps, to allow them to restsquarely on the rail. The swivelplates are secured between the plates 1)b by the bolts m, which also act to hold the plates together and furtherbrace the bridge. Bolted at the inner side of the bridge is the guard n,to hold the car-wheel close to the bridge and prevent the wheel fromslipping therefrom. This guard is preferebly made skeleton, as shown, toreduce the weight of the bridge, and extends out from the bridge farenough to give free space for the entrance of the wheelflange between itand the bridge. This guard is not, however, necessary, as the bridgeacts efficiently without it. WVhen the bridges are employed, they areplaced on the rails and held thereon by the lips g of the clamps, whichextend down into the stones and dirt on either side of the rail, and aregenerally sufficient to hold it against longitudinal motion or slippingthereon. The line of hose fits within the opening I, and is generallydrawn directly across the track, so that both bridges may be in positionto raise the car-wheels at the same time, and the opening (1 issufficiently high to allow of the passage of the standard hose employed,the opening being broad enough to allow the hose to extend across thetracks at an angle. The'car-wheels travel up the inclined treads f onone side and down on the other inclined treads, f the car being thuscarried over the hose without injuring it, and the delay and annoyanceso often occasioned in street-ear traveling being thus entirelyovercome. If the bridges are not heldfirmly to the rails by the clamps,as soon as the pressure of the wheels comes against them, by drawing onthe clamps through the swivel joints Z, as these swivel-joints connectwith the clamps at one side, they throw the clamps at an angle and causethe edges of the lips to bite into the side edges of the rails, and sohold the bridges firmly thereto.

The bridges are made about thirty inches long and weigh about fifteenpounds, so that they are not too large or heavy to be carried by thecars or hose-carriages; or they may be kept at intervals along the line,where they can be quickly obtained when needed. They can be manufacturedat small cost and are efficient for the purpose intended.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. In combination with the bridge having the inclined treads ff andhose-opening d, the clamps g, corresponding in shape to the rail, andsecured to the bridge, said clamps fitting over the rail, substantiallyas set forth.

2. The combination of the plates b I), having inclined faces 0 c, andhose-opening d, the curved plate 6, secured between said plates at saidopenings, and means for securing the bridge so formed to the rail,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In combination with the bridge, the clamps fitting over the rails andsecured to the bridge by swivel-connections, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

4. In combination with the bridge, the clamps g, secured thereto andfitting over the rail, and having the lips g, tapered to a point, as atsubstantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In combination with the bridge having the inclined treads ff andhose-opening d, the-wheel-guards a, secured thereto, substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said THOMAS REDDY, have hereunto set myhand.

THOMAS REDDY.

Witnesses:

J. M. BOURKE, JNO. B. FENESY.

